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Help Asmahan Abdallah (AJ) beat Ovarian Cancer

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As most of my family and friends know, it has been 3 years since that dreadful day, December 18, 2015 that my life as I knew it would change forever. No matter what anyone tells you, no one can prepare you for the news that you have late stage cancer and you are what they medically deem as inoperable. I must have been in shock upon hearing the word inoperable because for many months, I did not even know what it meant nor did I even bother to Google it as I was always Googling everything. It turned out, what my team of doctors were trying to tell me, is that I am inoperable, terminal, there is nothing they can do to prolong my life. It was too late, they had discovered the ovarian cancer in its late stages as happens with so many females. The tumor had grown so large that it caused a deadly bowel obstruction that needed to be repaired. When they went in for surgery, I was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. The doctor had found that the tumor had grown so large and wrapped itself around so many areas, it was impossible for any doctor to remove. At 40 years old, I was shocked, how could this be me, for the entire year before, I was in and out of emergency rooms and doctor offices trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I had searched the internet for every known disease with no luck. The one type of cancer, I never bothered to look at, was the one cancer that I ended up having. As I cried that awful day reading the symptoms, to my shock, I had every single one. Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, my stomach looked like I was pregnant, pain in my ovaries, bleeding, bad cramps frequent urination, a change in my bowel movements and the appearance of them. Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer to all females who are not careful to pay attention to the deadly symptoms that start to take place in the female body as this deadly cancer progresses.

It turned out that my gynecologist had misdiagnosed me with uterine fibroids and then sent me home with a stool softener when she found the mass in an ultrasound. When they went in to operate when I first got diagnosed with the Ovarian cancer, my surgeon found no fibroids, it was all cancer. The OB/GYN had wasted a year and a half with the misdiagnosis when all she had to do was send me to an oncologist for a second opinion. After weeks in the hospital, the failed surgery to remove the inoperable tumor, 6 rounds of chemotherapy, the bowel obstruction and months of horrible medicines to treat the tumor, it continues to grow. For the past 3 years, I have suffered endlessly with pain in my stomach, my intestines and my sides.

Now, we are at 3 years later and 3 opinions later and we may have our answer. My medical oncologist, Dr. Meisel ended up sending my medical case file to her colleague in New York who works at Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the largest cancer hospitals in the world. We had no choice as the cancer has stopped responding to the Letrezole treatment that had stabilized the cancer for a year and a half. Dr. Meisel also placed me on Ibrance in hopes that since we all knew my cancer was estrogen-based, it may respond to Ibrance which is normally given to breast cancer patients. My last scan this past November shows that the cancer is growing one centimeter in each area and causing me so much pain. Her colleague directed her to the miracle surgeon known as Dr. Dennis Chi. She told her to tell me, if I were her patient, he is my only hope and the only surgeon in the world who can possibly remove the tumor 100 percent if not the majority of it, God willing. As my doctor stated to me, as long as the cancer is growing, we have no more time to waste. We need to move now and we need to move quickly. Dr. Meisel spoke directly with Dr. Chi and explained to him my medical diagnosis and the fact that my cancer is considered inoperable. He responded with, he would love to see me for a consultation in New York to review my cancer and determine if he can remove this horrible tumor. The two surgeons at Emory University hospital here in Atlanta and the surgeon at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, both agreed that the surgery would be too much of a risk as the tumor has attached itself in so many places.

I have booked my consultation with Dr. Chi In New York for January 17, 2019 at 9:00am and I can’t tell you how excited I am about this visit. I pray to God every day that he has the answer and is the one that can save my life otherwise, I don’t have long to live. My doctors are telling me that they are not God and can’t predict how long my life will be. The stats on Stage 3C Ovarian cancer are very bleak and give me a 17% survival rate for living 5 years after diagnosis. I am at 3 years as of December 18, 2018. I want every one of my family and friends to know that I am so very thankful to have all of you in my life praying for me and supporting me. I don’t know how I would have made it this far without your continued prayers all of this time. To my wonderful employer, Vital Solutions, I don’t know how I would have been able to get through this horrible disease these past couple of years without your continued support.

As you guys all know, the financial burden of cancer is so great and has caused me to accumulate huge and endless amounts of medical bills, medical costs, treatment costs, co-pays, insurance deductibles and now with having to travel to treatment in New York and possibly surgery, the costs are going up. I have even been working for the past 2 years to maintain my insurance. It is becoming more and more difficult to continue working with the pain steadily increasing.  My husband and I will be flying out on the 16th of January, meeting with Dr. Chi on the 17th. At that time, he will determine if he can remove the massive tumor or not, if not, it will be more chemotherapy. If I have to stay for surgery, I am looking at several weeks to a couple of months under his treatment and recovery in New York. Any financial help will be greatly appreciated as I continue to try to battle this deadly disease. If you are unable to help financially, I ask that you continue to pray for me as my doctors have stated to me, it is the prayers that have helped keep me here with all of my loved ones. Thank you so much for your prayers and your support.
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Donations 

  • Fayyaz Ahmed
    • $20 
    • 4 yrs
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Organiser and beneficiary

Nader Mohammad
Organiser
Lilburn, GA
Asmahan Abdallah
Beneficiary

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